Lucky Dorito

Another guest adorns my blog today with her *Mom-story*: My sweet friend Guinie. She is one of my favorite people and another online scrabble partner. We have lots in common, especially our similarities in the “forgetful” department. (Sorry, Guinie… let your secret outta the bag!) She is fun and witty and someone I am proud to call my friend.

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When I was in 7th grade (or right around there), my sister and I were involved in the Jr. Auxiliary. My mom was an officer in the Women’s Auxiliary and was one of the Jr. Aux. leaders, so, by default, we were all involved as well. Well, one evening of a Women’s Aux. meeting, they were going to have a Miss Poppy contest. (You know those poppies that you see people offering for donations for the American Legion’s Veterans’ Fund?)
Mom told us after school that we HAD to be in the Miss Poppy contest. My sister was so excited. She made herself a poppy crown and poppy bracelets and the whole nine yards. I didn’t want to do it, so I just went to my room and ignored the whole thing….thinking I would get out of it.
Well, after dinner, Mom told us to get our poppy accessories and get ready because we were going to be leaving soon. I just said, “I’m not going.” She said, “Oh, yes, you are.” We went round and round and I used the excuse that I didn’t have anything to wear as far as poppy decorations (which was kind of why I didn’t make any…I was hoping to be able to use that as a valid excuse to get out of it!). Mom proceeded to grab a handful of poppies and start “decorating” me. The skirt I was wearing buttoned up the front, so she wound poppies around the buttons. She pulled my hair back on one side and clipped poppies into a barrette. I had poppies all over me by the time she got done.
The whole time, I listened to her lecture me about how I WOULD do this, that I needed to NOT be so selfish, that everyone was EXPECTING us to be there….and on and on…. Well, we got there. There were about 12 of us girls total. All of us decked out in red and covered in poppies. We each got a turn to walk down the aisle of chairs and stand to the side facing the “audience”, while the officers “interviewed” us. They asked us what our favorite subjects were in school, what were our hobbies, that sort of thing.
Well, to make a long story short, I won.
Yay me.
My sister was FURIOUS! And my mom was PROUD.
When we got home, Mom insisted that Ju and I pose for pictures….with her wearing a scowl and me wearing my Miss Poppy sash and holding my bouquet of Memorial Day poppies.
Even though, it wasn’t a big deal to me, now I understand why it was to Mom. And I’m glad she made me do it…even if I did have to listen to a lecture. lol
My mom was so busy and involved in every group you could imagine when I was growing up. She was an officer for the women’s group at church, an officer for the Women’s Aux., our Girl Scout leader, the janitor of the church, a member of a card club, and other things that I can’t even remember right now….and she also worked full time at the high school in the kitchen. Everywhere I went, there was my mom. Everything I was involved in, there was my mom. (She actually was a Girl Scout leader because my sister and I wanted to be in Girl Scouts and there wasn’t a troop already in our area…so she started one.)
The funny thing about all this? I always told her and promised myself that I would never be involved in that many things and be that busy. Well….the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree….because I AM. And I think it’s because not only do our moms give birth to us, but they also give birth to their own passions in us. I find that everything I’m involved in is somehow related to what my mom was involved in and what she loved doing. Go figure.
And, if A was involved in a Jr. Aux. somewhere….and they were having a Miss Poppy contest….I would make her participate. :o)
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